Relaxation
by editor frog
Summary: What happens after the cases are over?


**So I got this idea from a story about bathrooms. Hope you enjoy!**

**Oh, and, of course I'm only borrowing... :)

* * *

**Black marble glistens as streams of water droplets crash onto the slick surface. Steam rises from the near-scalding temperature he likes it at, making the tiny glassed-in space double as a poor-man's sauna.

_Two more hours of this, and I'll be good as new, _he thought.

At least, he thought that until the phone rang.

--

Chocolate. Strawberries. A half-pint of double-chocolate chunk, perched ever so close over on the countertop. Tiny bits of loofah get caught in her hair, and the oh-too-eager hands of a certain _someone_ scrubs her back with the puffy purple bath scrunchie he got her for their one-month anniversary.

_Oooh,_ she thought, looking into a pair of polished brown eyes that looked even better without the glasses. _Good thing we turned our phones off…_

And then, the sound of someone pounding on the front door, demanding to be let in ruined it.

--

The giant clawfoot tub threatened to swallow him whole. Steaming water simmered inside of it like a kettle of clear soup broth, with a layer of bubbles so thick it could double as cake frosting. Locking the door to the tiny green bathroom, he gingerly stepped inside the giant tub and settled in, reaching for the old piece of thick plywood that served well as a book holder. There was a new edition of _Crime and Punishment_ that certainly deserved a second look…

Before he could open to the first chapter, however, his handheld went off.

--

The sheets were pulled back on the freshly made bed, just waiting to be climbed into and snuggled down in as soon as she stepped out of the shower. There really was nothing like warm 800-count sheets just out of the dryer, and this set had been a gift from her friends. The bright violet color clashed horribly with the powder-blue room, but she appreciated them nonetheless. Near the bathroom door hung a thick white robe, all fuzzy and warm. A pair of matching terrycloth slippers sat patiently underneath it, just waiting for the newly pedicured feet to slip into them. Hot water trickled down her back by way of her dark mane of hair, and there was no doubt that she was in heaven.

At least, she was until the house phone rang…

--

There was nothing like a hot shower. Especially one in your own bathroom. Where all the temperatures were at the perfect placement, and there was always lots of the right kind of soap and shampoo. Even though there wasn't much hair to speak of, he still liked to scrub the top of his head with a little of the shampoo, and _always _the unscented kind. Steam poured over the thick shower curtain, rising up from the tile floor underneath his feet and working out the aches and pains of a particularly stressful day.

_Perfect,_ he thought. _Now what am I gonna do about that leaking kitchen sink?_

Before he could even think that far ahead, the shrill sounds of his phones going off startled him, nearly sending him into a heap onto the white bathroom rug.

--

The bathroom seemed empty. For one person, it was certainly too big. He'd thought about finding something smaller, but there was a lot of sentimental value to the place, and besides, the extra room might come in handy at some point. He laid out his bathrobe, blue with small white pinstripes, and carelessly tossed an old shirt and a pair of boxers on the bed.

_Quick shower, then a long sleep,_ he thought. _After today, God knows I could use it…_

Just before he could close his eyes, though, the sound of a cell phone going off made him seriously regret leaving the device on in the first place.

--

Six pairs of eyes glowered at the little blonde standing in the middle of the bullpen, looking fresh as a daisy.

"Sorry, guys, I know it was supposed to be your vacation, but…this one's pretty bad," she said, trying to ignore the fact that Garcia had pieces of purple material lodged in her hair and that Emily had forgotten to rinse out her hair. That was nothing compared to the fact that every one of the guys all looked like they'd suddenly forgotten what towels and hairbrushes could do to a person, and both Rossi and Reid looked like they'd dressed in the back of someone's closet.

"It's two in the morning, JJ," Hotch said trying to work the sleep out of his eyes. "How important can it be?"

"Five men, all eviscerated, all left in public parks within a thirty mile radius, and that was just in the last twelve hours?"

Six faces looked at each other and sighed. So much for relaxation…


End file.
